Old Fashioned Piccalilli Green Tomato Relish Recipe

Piccalilli relish recipe is one of the best ways to use up the last green tomatoes from your garden before the frost comes. When the growing season winds down, and you are staring at a pile of unripe tomatoes with no idea what to do, this is exactly the recipe you need.

This old fashioned piccalilli recipe has been in our family for generations. Jim’s mother, Grace, made it every fall at the end of the garden season and stored the jars in her root cellar. She pulled them out every Thanksgiving and Christmas, and every single person at the table reached for that relish jar.

This delightful green tomato relish will capture your heart and become a cherished annual tradition. This sweet and spicy relish ingeniously combines the abundance of garden produce you’re unsure how to utilize, resulting in a savory relish so delightful that you’ll be eagerly anticipating its creation year after year.

We have been making Grace’s green tomato piccalilli ever since, and it has become one of my favorite things to put up each fall. It is sweet, a little tangy, full of warm spices, and perfect as a condiment alongside turkey, ham, or a holiday cheese board.

Think of it as pickled green tomatoes taken to the next level. Instead of whole or sliced tomatoes in brine, piccalilli grinds everything together with vegetables and spices into a relish that is truly unlike anything you can buy at the store.

The Story Behind This Old Fashioned Piccalilli Recipe

Grace Buonpane made this green tomato piccalilli recipe every summer without fail. Her original recipe did not call for a water bath, but Jim and I always water bath our canning recipes to be safe. Pint jars are the perfect size for this one.

You do not have to can this recipe at all if you do not want to. It tastes wonderful right when it is finished and will keep in the refrigerator for at least three weeks, if it lasts that long. You can also freeze it in freezer containers and bring it out for the holidays.

Grace would serve this piccalilli relish at Sunday dinners and especially at Thanksgiving and Christmas. You get that fresh garden flavor in the middle of winter, and it is such a special thing. The whole family looked forward to it every year.

Piccalilli traces back to British cooking and New England traditions from the late 1800s. In the South, it is often called chow chow. Whatever you call it, this traditional piccalilli recipe is the kind of condiment that becomes a family tradition all on its own.

If you do not have a garden, you can find all the ingredients at your local farmers market at the end of summer, or at the grocery store. Keep in mind the recipe needs to sit overnight, so plan to start it when you will be home for a couple of days. It truly is best the next day.

This is also one of those canning tomatoes recipes that is beginner-friendly. If you have never canned anything before, piccalilli is a great place to start. The water bath process is simple, and the results store beautifully for the whole winter.

Find all my top 5 canning recipes here: 5 Basic Garden Canning Recipes.

Why You’ll Love This Piccalilli Relish Recipe

• Uses up every last green tomato from the garden so nothing goes to waste
• A true old fashioned piccalilli recipe passed down from Grace Buonpane’s family
• Perfect for water bath canning, freezing, or just eating straight from the refrigerator
• Sweet, tangy, and full of warm spices that make your whole kitchen smell amazing
• The best condiment for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, turkey, ham, or a cheese board

Ingredients For Piccalilli Relish:

• 3/4 peck green tomatoes: firm, fully unripe tomatoes work best here. End-of-season garden tomatoes or farmers market green tomatoes are perfect.
• 6 sweet green peppers: standard green bell peppers are what we use.
• 2 red peppers: add a little color and a touch of sweetness.
• 3 stalks celery: adds crunch and a mild flavor to the relish.
• 10 large onions: this is a big-batch recipe. Yellow onions work great.
• 1 medium cabbage: regular green cabbage, nothing fancy needed.
• 1/4 cup mustard seeds: gives that classic piccalilli flavor.
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon: one of the warm spices that makes this relish so special.
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves: adds depth and that old fashioned spice flavor.
• 2 cups brown sugar: balances the vinegar and gives a sweet, rich flavor.
• 1/4 cup salt: used for the overnight salting step to draw out moisture.
• 6 cups apple cider vinegar: do not swap this for white vinegar. Apple cider vinegar gives the best flavor in this traditional piccalilli recipe.

Swaps and notes:

• No red peppers? Use all green peppers.
• You can leave out the cabbage if you prefer a simpler green tomato relish.
• Add a pinch of red pepper flakes if you want a little heat in your piccalilli relish.

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Equipment You’ll Need

• Ball Canning Jars
• Lids & Rims
• Large Canning Pot
• Stock Pot for Boiling Water
• Ball Secure-Grip Jar Lifter (a must)
• Canning Funnel
• Food processor or grinder attachment for your stand mixer (this is the grinder we use)
• Extra-large stainless steel bowl (for the overnight salting)
• Small-hole colander for draining
• Cutting board and paring knife
• Tongs
• Ladle

How to Make Old Fashioned Piccalilli Green Tomato Relish

Variations and Swaps

• No canning: Skip the water bath and put the cooled jars straight into the refrigerator. Keeps for at least 3 weeks.
• Freeze it: Pack the cooled relish into freezer-safe containers. Freezes beautifully and is ready to pull out at Thanksgiving or Christmas.
• Spicier piccalilli: Add 1 to 2 jalapeños when grinding the vegetables, or stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes during cooking.
• Sweeter relish: Add an extra 1/2 cup of brown sugar if you prefer a sweeter green tomato relish.
• No cabbage: Leave it out for a more traditional green tomato relish without the added bulk.
• No red peppers: Use all green sweet peppers if that is what you have on hand.

What to Eat With Green Tomato Piccalilli Relish

This old fashioned piccalilli relish is one of those condiments that goes with just about everything. Grace always served it at the holiday table, but honestly we put it on everything year-round.

• Turkey at Thanksgiving
• Ham at Christmas
• Hot dogs and burgers off the grill
• Roast beef or pork
• Cold cut sandwiches
• On a cheese board with crackers

Easy Homemade Corn Relish

Homemade Refrigerator Dill Pickle 

Storing Your Piccalilli Relish

• Refrigerator: Keeps for up to 3 weeks in sealed jars. No canning required.
• Freezer: Pack into freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to one year. Pull out jars for the holidays and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
• Canned shelf storage: Properly water-bathed jars keep in a cool, dark spot for up to one year. Always check the seal before opening.

Frequently Asked Questions

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